Lake access along the linear park and MRC rules

Lake access along the linear park :

Access to the public beach at Lac Mercier offers residents and visitors a unique location for leisure activities.

Because the linear park covers 50% of the lake’s perimeter, many adjacent property owners must cross the track to reach the edge of the lake.

The MRC is responsible for authorizing any right of access or installations on their property.

Non-authorized occupations and abuses relating to brush cutting, have been observed for many years all along the park.

Illegal installations (docks, stairs, platforms), as well as boat anchorage in non-authorized areas, are a major cause for the loss of natural cover.

MRC rules:

During Winter 2013, the MRC modified it’s management scheme which included a prohibition against the installation of docks within government’s property.

L’Association du lac Mercier proposed a compromise to ensure that the rights of our members who are contiguous to the linear park, be preserved to allow access to the lake, and the placing of a dock.

We were able to get one representative from the Lake Association appointed to a working group, within the MRC Committee tasked with developing regulations and guiding principles relating to the usage of the shoreline component of the linear park.

A policy authorizing access to the lake on behalf of adjacent residents, was approved by the MRC (mayors council) in April 2014.

The new MRC initiative related to the policy of occupation of portions of the linear park includes:

– The granting of new permits to the current holders of leases, and to owners of a property contiguous to the linear park; the granting of permits and their renewal must conform to requirements of the regulation;

– The granting of a grace period to those who are currently illegal, to normalize their right to occupy;

– The obligation of new permit holders to adhere to the rules of usage;

– The obligation to respect municipal regulations relating to the protection of the shoreline.

At the end of the grace period, projected to January 2016, no new permits of occupation will be issued nor renewed if the occupant does not conform to principles and requirements described in the MRC policy and the municipal bylaws.

August 2016: Several property owners who are contiguous to the linear park have fulfilled the requirement of the occupation policy, but are still waiting for their permits. It seems that the delay is at the level of the provincial Ministry of Transport.